THE MOMENT
"For that last damn time?" Celestrix smiled. She stood several dozen yards away from a cordoned building that looked normal, but actually went below ground for several levels. "I certainly hope so. Honestly, it's rather concerning how negative you've been throughout the entire tour. You're not obligated to join me in there, and I've decided to take offense at your misguided generalizations. Do you see me carrying any potions?"
"The point is...," Luther sighed. He was only trying to do the right thing and keep her safe; but, it was clear that she didn't have any sense. And, she made it easy to not want to care. "... magic isn't going to keep your face from melting off. But if you want to go in and take a look around, be my guest. I'm not going to risk it, but you should be safe on the first floor at least. Just don't go to the lower levels unless you want to die and get me fired," he said.
He was supposed to be showing the wealthy donor buildings that could use some financial love to put her name on. Yet, she seemed more knowledgeable about the university than him, and he'd been there 30 years already. He'd tried to stick to the plan, but she asked and asked about this building, and he tried putting her off every time until there was nothing else left to show. By then, he was thoroughly annoyed. He wanted to remind her that her death would inconvenience him as well.
"I won't die," she shook her head with a smile. "But, I'm rather impressed you won't either. You're not trying very hard to stop me, yet you're standing your own ground. I appreciate that," she said as she offered him a green and silver business card. "I doubt I'll get you fired, but if you ever feel the need for a different opportunity, Solarion Inc. would like to discuss what we can offer you."
"Thanks," Luther nodded with formal gratitude. She wasn't the first, and she likely wouldn't be the last to try and butter him up with a job offer. It was just another day for him, and the card would go in the trash as soon as they were done.
"I'll be right back, wait for me," she said as she started walking forward. She entered the building, and was gone longer than it should've taken to look around the first floor. At 20 minutes, he realized he might've really miscalculated. He was annoyed, but still trusting. He didn't think she would be that stupid. She was just trying to prove a point to him by going in.
Fortunately, she appeared again 25 minutes after she entered. He was about to call security as she emerged from the doorway, and he sighed in relief. She seemed to be in one piece, walking steady.
"I know it's not your fault...," Celestrix said as soon as she was close enough to him. "...but, I want to share how disappointing that was," she said.
"Disappointing?? You came out alive!"
"Well, I expected that much," Celestrix nodded. "I also hoped there would be more magic present; there wasn't. It was just a simple tear in reality. It's fixed now, so feel free to open the building again. But, unfortunately, Solarion Inc. will not be donating to the university."
"Waiiit...," Luther put his hand up and dragged out the single syllable. "That's a lot going on there, one thing at a time. You were looking for magic? I told you from the beginning it was radioactive!" It was bad enough that she backed out at the end, and made worse because they could have skipped the whole thing.
"That's right," Celestrix nodded. "But.. what does that mean?"
"It means there's radiation everywhere!"
"You're too caught up in your head about the meaning of words..," she smiled. "'Radiation' literally means emission or transmission of energy. Radiation can absolutely be magical in nature. In which case, chants and potions would work. "
"And you're saying that's what it was?" Luther asked. He'd get someone to check it out of course, but as things stood now, he believed her easily.
"Things are rarely that neat in real life," Celestrix smirked with a slight giggle. "From the history I pieced together, their 'radiation leak' happened accidentally during an experiment. They accidentally created a small portal to an alternate universe."
"Portal? They were working on nuclear tech...," Luther knew a chunk of the history, but he'd forgotten most of it over the years.
"Thus, 'accidentally'," Celestrix nodded. "Funnily enough, they opened a portal directly to a meltdown happening, so that's where the radiation came from."
"Wait... so there really was radiation?" Luther had grown confused. He was convinced the problem was magical after all when she returned in perfect health. And, her mentioning a portal seemed to corroborate that. But now, they were back on the topic of nuclear radiation.
"Quite a bit," Celestrix nodded. "I've closed the portal and absorbed what was left."
"How are you fine?" Luther asked. Magic was known in the world, but was she that gifted?
"Well, it was only 'quite a bit' of radiation for a human," Celestrix smiled and her pale face darkened. In seconds, and only for a brief moment, jagged, pitch-black scales protruded from her face before disappearing again. "But, I'm a dragon."